Brooder



12, 1939 w. H. BRINTON 2,183,472

BRoonnR Filed Jan. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 12, 1939.

y w. H. BRIN'roN BROODER Filed Jan. a, 1937 l w@ nl "'I l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ffii Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATsNT orties 16 Claims.

My invention relates to a brooder for raising chicks, turkeys and game fowl.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a novel brooder adapted to easy and inexpensive manu- 5 facture and well suited to the needs of service.

A further purpose is to distribute electric heating elements of a brooder above the chicks on heat insulating ceiling surfaces that slope upwardly toward the brooder interior from opposite sides of the brooder and preferably to vent the brooder from intermediate these surfaces, desirably from near the lateral center, with a curtain extending to near the brooder floor.

A further purpose is to use fabric as a material for the Walls of a brooder flue for exhausting the foul air from the interior thereof, using the perviousness of thev fabric to insure proper venting along the vertical walls of the flue and the resistancev to air passage to insure venting 20 from longitudinally beyond the Walls near the brooder iioor.

A further purpose is to light the interior of a brooder when not artificially heating the brooder and preferably by reverse thermostatic control of the lighting and heating of the brooder.

A further purpose is at once automatically to light a brooder interior and to heat the interior of a vertical air-venting ue of the brooder by the thermostatic cut-out of heat elements above the chicks, the heating of the interior of the vertical vent flue insuring continued effective venting after discontinuing the effective artificial heating of the brooding space of the brooder and the lighting of the brooder making the brooder more hospitable to the chicks during the periods of normally relatively small temperature differential inside and outside the brooder.

A further purpose is to hingedly secure wings to opposite sides of a brooder to increase the brooder capacity.

A further purpose is to surround the brooder by anl adjustable curtain which may be used at will about the body of the brooder without the wings or about the brooder and the wings.

A further purpose is to vent a brooder having a gable roof by a ventilator extending longitudinally of the gable.

A further purpose is to employ a vWidely distributed low temperature heating element which covers substantially the entire ceiling of a brooder closely adjacent to the heads of the chicks.

A furtherlpurpose is to locate the heating element in a ue near the ceiling at the outer edge of a brooder. y

A further purpose is to provide a brooder equipped with'roosting facilities for chicks, turkeys, etc., on an elevated perch within the brooder.

A further purpose is to provide inside a brooder roosting facilities for turkeys, chicks, etc. 5 A further purpose is to brood chicks and the y like in an interior brooder which is placed within an exterior brooder and to provide roosting facilities outside of the interior brooder but within the exterior brooder so that chicks and the like when 10 reaching the age at which they desire to roost are able to roost without `leaving the heat of the brooder.

A further purpose is to provide an interior electric brooder and an exterior brooder surround- 15' ing the electric brooder and equipped to receive fuel-heating means to maintain the temperature in case of power failure which would prevent functioning of the electric brooder.

A further purpose is to arrange the ceiling and 20 the air` vents from a brooder so that air circulation will take place whether or not the heating element is functioning, maintaining an unusually uniform temperature throughout all parts of the brooding area. 25

. A further purpose is to irradiate chicks in a brooder. i

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have elected to illustrate a few only of the 30 different forms of my invention, showing, however, forms that are practical and eicient in operation and which well illustrate the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing a de- 35 sirable embodiment of the invention vin position I of use.

- upon the line 2 2 thereof.

Figure 2a is a fragmentary section correspond- 40 ing to a portion of Figure 2, and showing a modification.

Figure 3 is alongitudinal section of Figure 2 upon the line 3 3 of Figure 2. l

Figure 4 is a bottom plan of the structure of 45 Figure' 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view corresponding to a section to enlarged scale upon the line 5 5 of Figure 4' and showing the thermostat.

Figure 6 is a diagram of electrical connections. 50

Figure 7 is a transverse section of an alternate form of brooder. f

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring tothe drawings: 55

The illustrated brooder structure includes its supporting legs I0, end walls II and I2, reversely sloping roof members I3 and I4 and wings I5 and I6 hingedly connected at II to the lower edges of the roof members. The wings may if desired slope more markedly to prevent roosting upon them.

Ceilings I8 and I9, under the roof members, for the length of the broeder interior preferably slope reversely upwardly from near the lower edges of the roof members to near the middle of the brooder interior, to end at opposite sides of a vertical Vent ue 2G, that suitably also eX- tends for the length of the brooder interior.

The ceilings I8 and I9 are seated along their ends tothe end walls II and I2 and along their lower edges respectively to the roof members I3 and I4, and preferably comprise heat insulating boards impervious to the passage of air, being suitably made of asbestos board or Celotex.

I distribute heat elements, electric resistance wires 2| and 2|', on the respective ceilings and connect these elements, preferably in parallel, to any suitable source 22 of electric energy through a thermostatically controlled switch 23.

I preferably provide an electric lamp 24, located suitably in the iiue 20 and so connected that it is lighted and cut off respectively by the opening and closing of the switch 23, shunting the switch in the diagrammatic connections, Figure 6. This arrangement prevents interference with radio reception when the thermostat operates.

The thermostatic control mechanism of the switch 23 is intended for a conventional showing of any suitable connections for accomplishing thermostatic control of the heat elements and/or of the light 24.

As illustrated any suitable thermal element 25, for example a wafer, controls the movement of an arm 25 of a U-shaped spring element 2'! supported at 2S. rA plunger 29 from the Wafer eX- tends through an opening 30 in an arm 3! of the U-shaped member 2l. Insulating strips 32 and 33 support contacts 34 and 35 on the ends of the arms 26 and 3|. Connection may be made directly to the contacts 34 and 35 by soldering or the like. The thermostat may be adjusted as to its temperature setting by the adjustment screw 36 extending through an opening 31 in the arm 26 of the U-member 2l. The switch mounting is shown at 38 in Figure 2. The circuit includes the resistance heating elements 2I and 2 I in parallel and the whole connected in series with the thermostate contacts 3d and 35, shunted by the lamp 2Q. The current source 22 may desirably be a commercial alternating or direct current source at 110 volts.

If desired the adjustment screw 36 may be accessible through the roof of the brooder. A suitable thermometer is indicated at 39, responsive to the brooder temperature and indicating outside the broeder near the thermostat adjustment member.

The walls of the flue 20 may be suitably of fabric or other sheet material somewhat pervious to air so that the spent air leaving the brooder space enters the exit flue 2l) directly through the flue walls, and also through the open flue end at I0 near the floor and beyond the flue walls, thereby drawing in a greater and more uniform stream of adequately fresh air under the outside curtains lll, suitably of fabric. The flue walls desirably extend for the full length of the brooder interior as seen in Figure 3.

For an adequate chimney effect, the temperature within the flue 28 for the vertical height thereof needs to be adequately higher than the temperature outside the broeder around the normally split curtained edges thereof, and I preferably discharge the flue 28 into the loft space 42 intermediate the ceiling and roof, although I may discharge directly to the atmosphere.

Access to the loft space @l2 is provided by a doorway, closed by a door 43, hinged at 23' and opened by a handle 32.

In order to control the air flow from the loft space I2 to the atmosphere, I provide a dampercontrolled discharge Vent /li in each enf* Wall. If preferred, a damper of the type of 53, Figure '7, in the peak of the roof, may be used.

The flow of aii` from the broeder space into the loft space l2 is controlled by a longitudinally slidable damper l5 having openings 65 and controlled by a handle 452. If preferred. a damper of the type of 52', of Figure 'Z may be successfully used at this point.

For sureness in the continuous supply of fresh air throughout the brooder, the flue 25B needs to be maintained at an adequately high temperature, as compared to the air outside the broeder. I use the light 24 for this purpose during the shutdown periods of the heating elements, the ue walls heat-insulating but only imperfectly lightinsulating the light from the broeder space where the heat is not wanted, but using the heat of the n light for heating the flue to insure correct chimney effect for the flue and thereby to insure a gentle flow of fresh air throughout the hover space of the ue. The light will show to some extent through the fabric walls of the nue .'23, and will attract the chicks into the broeder from outside.

The heating wires 2| and 2i' preferably are strung longitudinally back and forth on the oppositely inclined ceiling members IS and I9 and the successive longitudinal portions of these wires preferably are spaced closer together toward the lower or outside edges of the ceiling members I8 and I 9, for the more uniform 'temperature distribution below the ceiling members.

In operation the thermostat adjustment screw 36 is preferably positioned so that the temperature maintained in the broeder is about -9'?" F. at the fioor with a temperature cf F. at the thermometer for day-old chicks. perature will preferably be reduced from 1 to 2 F. per day, depending upon the season, until it reaches about 70 F. at the thermometer when the chicks are 3 to 4 Weeks.

The cold air enters beneath the outer curtains i 4I and mingles with re-circulated air in the space below the inclined ceiling members i8 and I9. The Warm air has a tendency to heat the fresh air drawn from outside and to draw it toward the heating elements, of which there is a concentration immediately adjacent the peripheral edge of the hover. A constant flow of air through the flue tends to draw air to the center where the bulk of the air is re-circulated by the fabric flue walls without entering the flue at that time. A certain quantity of foul moisture-laden air passes at 4D below the fabric flue wall and escapes upward through the ue into the loft space and an additional quantity of foul and moisture-laden air passes through the fabric iiue walls and thus enters the iiue. The loft space is constantly filled with relatively stationary warm air at points remote from the center and with rising warm air near the center. The warm air in the The temloft space reduces loss of heatfrorn the brooder proper, thus increasing economy of operation.

An important feature ofthe invention is the in'clining of the ceilings toward the flue and the provision of the flue wall to prevent direct iiow of the bulk of the upper layer of air in the brooder to the flue, thus withdrawing the lowermost layer 0f air, which is likely to be foul and damp, and, if allowed to accumulate, will prove harmful to the health of the chicks. In fact, chicks die very quickly from breathing foul moist air. In Figure 2a I show an alternative and preferableform. of heater, consisting of elements 2l2 (only one of which is shown) supported by insulators 2|3 in a baflie 2l4 having a skirt 2l5 and secured at 2|6 to the ceiling at either end. Air circulates freely between the baille and the ceiling. Thus airv entering beneath the Aouter curtain, mixed with re-circulated air, passes thru the ue-like space above the baffle and is further heated. The skirt 2I5 defiects air upward and causes it to pass over the heating element. The inner flue 2! in this form is constructed as shown inl the other figures.

.'I'he element shown in Figure 2a has the advantage that the heating `element is not exposed, and tests show improvement in air circulation over the other` forms.

The hinged wings make it possible to produce a very compact and easily handled brooder which nevertheless has a large and a variable brooding capacity. In many prior art brooders it is necessary either to operate a large brooding area with young chicks normally occupying only a small portion of the brooding area, or a smaller brooding area with larger chicksrequiring additional brooding space, because adjustability in the brooding area has not been possible.

In accordance with my invention the wings may be folded back upon the roof and the curtains 4I stretched around the outside of the brooder body proper as indicated in dot-anddash lines in Figure 2. The curtain is shown surrounding the brooder body proper in Figure 2a. This arrangement is particularly desirable where a high brooding temperature is required, as when brooding very young chicks, as all of the brooding area is immediately below the heating elements.

In Figure 1 I show the wings folded down andthe curtains 4I surrounding the brooder body and the wings, so that the brooding area includes not only the space below the ceiling members i8 and I9 but also the space below the Wings.

, A very convenient manner of operating the brooder is to keep the wings folded back on the roof during the early-days of the chicks life and then as they grow and require more space, fold the wings down and thus augment the broodingv area.

It will be evident that the height of the brooding space may be readily adjustedv by changing the bolt holes used for the bolts securing the legs Ill to the brooder' body.

In operation, the heating elements will remain hot until the thermostat switch opens. While the thermostat switch is closed, the heat for chimney effect is provided by the heating elements. When the switch opens, the attraction light provides heat for chimney effect the light to keep the chicks, etc. from wandering away from the brooder. There is yconsiderable tendency for the chicks to-leave or refuse to enter anxunlighted brooder in weather vso warm that the room temperature is sufficiently high to make anyspot in the ro'om a comfortable roosting place inthe early evening. This condition cannot be allowed because of the chilling effect of the night air, which cause the chicks outside the brooder to crowd on top of one another and suifocate.

` The attraction light performs an additional important function in preventing the losses caused by panic when the brooder is raised at night. rEspecially in the case of very young chicks, considerable heat is generated by their bodies at night, and the heating elements are likely to be off. for considerable periods. It is at this time that light is required to prevent crowding.

` Continuous operation ofthe attraction light is wasteful and unnecessary.

`In some cases it is desired to irradiate the chicks in the brooder. This may be done by using an electric lamp 46 that during operation emits ultraviolet rays, and making the ceilings i8 and i9 of some material transparent to ultraviolet light, such as fused quartz, transparent Celluloid (Protectoid) or cellulose acetate.

In Figure 7 vI illustrate an alternate brooder construction consisting of an exterior brooder 47 having roof members 48 and 49 which preferably include door portions 50 and 5l hinged at 52. A curtain 4l' surrounds the external brooder. If desired, a wing construction as previouslyshown may be employed. A cover 53 hinged at 5d and provided with an adjustment screw 55 controls the escape of air through the vent 5S in the gable roof.

rAn interior brooder 51 stands beneath the external brooder 4l and consists of ceiling members 58 and 59 supported on adjustable legs 60 oppositely inclined toward the center and carrying heating elements 2l, 2l on their lower surfaces. If desired, the interior brooder 51 may be hung or otherwise supported from the vexterior brooder. A flue space 6I between the ceiling members is controlled by a cover 62 hinged at 63 and operated by an adjustment screw 64. Suitable ue walls 65 of fabric or the like are positioned at either side of the space 5l to define the ue. These will suitably consist of canvas or similar material. On top of the ceiling members 58 and 59 I place roosts 6E preferably secured to wire screens 6l so that the wire screens and roosts can be removed bodily for cleaning.

The electric heating elements are positioned along the lower surfaces of the ceiling members 58 and 59 as in the other construction and the thermostat and attraction lamp are pref-erably used as explained above. The heating elements of Figure 2a may be used in Figure 7 in place of the heating elements shown.

The construction of Figure 7 will operate satisfactorily as a conventional electric brooder, with the added advantage however that the chicks or other birds can roost in the brooder when they reach an age at which they desire to roost. This is particularly advantageous in raising turkeys where the desire to roost is very pronounced andv felt at an early age. The bird who wishes to roost can simply leave the interior brooder and take a position on one of the roost 66 on top of the interior brooder and beneath the exterior brooder.

I also show in Figure 'l ultra-violet electric lamps 69 which subject the chicks on the roost to ultra-violet light and thus counteract rickets and aid in development. The chick will be fed and watered in the space 'l0 between the exterior and interior broeders. Tests indicate that the double-canopy brooder of Figure 'l will provide the same protection to newly hatched chicks that is provided by the battery brooder, giving all of the advantages of the battery brooder in protecting the chick during the first two weeks of its life and the added advantage of allowing the chick to leave the outer brooder as soon as he can stand the normal temperature changes in severe winter weather. Chicks may be subjected to ultra-violet light during feeding or during roosting.

I find it very desirable to make the legs of the various brooders adjustable so that the height of the heating element and the height of the brooder ceiling may be adjusted from time to time to suit the height of the particular brood. In a particular installation the brooder may be suspended from the ceiling if this be preferable.

The heating element should never get hot enough to mark a chick even if its head did touch the wires. The voltage drop between adjacent spans of the heating element should not be great enough to cause danger from electric shock.

In experiments made upon the present invention at Pennsylvania State College, it was found possible to obtain uniformity within i2 F. laterally across the brooder space.

In some instances it is deemed preferable to restrict the mixing of cold air with the air in the brooder by providing two external curtains at spaced distances. For example, in Figure 7 such an inner curtain is shown at 1|. Air entering beneath the outer curtain 4l' is somewhat restricted in its inner flow by the inner curtain 1|. In most cases thek use of the inner curtain 1| 1s unnecessary.

It will be evident from the wiring diagram that the heating elements 2l and 2|' are in the circuit whether the switch 23 is closed or open. When the switch 23 is open, however, the current is so small that little or no heating takes place in the heating elements 2i and 2|', and they are effectively inoperative. At such times, the lamp 24 lights due to its high resistance, When the switch 23 is closed, however, and while the lamp 24 continues to carry some current, the amount is not sufficient to light the lamp.

In View of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications t0 meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brooder having a sloping roof, a sloping brooder ceiling, the said ceiling having a lesser slope than the roof in the same general direction as the slope of the roof with the high portion of the ceiling; spaced beneath the high portion of the roof forming a loft between the roof and ceiling and a brooder space under the ceiling, the brooder space having an entrance under and along the low edge of the ceiling and an air vent iiue out of the brooder space and into the loft, the flue being along the high edge of the ceiling, said flue having walls diiiicultly air pervious and adjacent the high portion of the ceiling and having an inlet above and near the brooder iioor and heat elements positioned in the brooder space below the ceiling.

2. A brooder having reversely sloping roofs, reversely inwardly and upwardly sloping ceilings spaced beneath the roofs and at their low edges interconnected with the roofs, electric heating elements positioned below the ceilings and an air Vent flue near the high edges of the ceilings and having an upward inlet from the brooder interior near and above the floor and intermediate the ceilings, said ue including laterally spaced walls extending longitudinally of the brooder and relatively adjustable members providing an adjustable exit for the iiue into a loft space between the roofs and ceilings.

3. A brooder having reversely sloping roofs, reversely inwardly and upwardly sloping ceilings spaced beneath the roofs and at their low edges connected with the roofs, the ceilings failing to meet and thereby providing a longitudinal slit between them, electric heating elements positioned below the ceilings and an air vent flue including the slit having an upward inlet from the brooder interior near and above the floor, said flue including laterally spaced longitudinally extending walls that are permeable diiilcultly to air, whereby air entering the brooder at low portions outwardly beyond the ceilings progresses at the ceilings upwardly and inwardly across the ceiling to the flue thence into the iiue in part il through the diificultly permeable walls adjacent the ceiling and along the vertical length of the walls and in part through the low end of the iiue.

4. A brooder having reversely sloping roofs, reversely inwardly and upwardly sloping rigid nonpermeable ceilings spaced beneath the roofs and sealing with respect to the roofs at the outer edges thereof, electric heating elements positioned below the ceilings and an air vent flue extending longitudinally of the brooder intermediate the ceilings along the high edges thereof and having an upward inlet from the brooder interior near and above the oor and intermediate the ceilings, said flue including laterally spaced air permeable walls difcultly permeable to air, as of fabric.

5. A brooder having reversely sloping roofs, reversely inwardly and upwardly sloping rigid nonpermeable ceilings spaced beneath the roofs and sealing with respect to the roofs at the outer edges thereof, electric heating elements positioned below the ceilings and an air vent flue extending longitudinally of the brooder intermediate the ceilings along the high echtes thereof and having an upward inlet from the interior near and above the floor and intermediate the ceilings, said flue including laterally spaced air and light permeable walls diicultly permeable to air, the air thereby venting into the flue both from near the oor and from near the ceiling.

6. A brooder having reversely sloping roofs, reversely inwardly and upwardly sloping ceilings spaced beneath the roofs, electric heating elements positioned below the ceilings, an air vent flue intermediate the ceilings along the high edges thereof and having an upward inlet from the brooder interior near and above the floor and intermediate the ceilings, a light in said flue and thermostatically controlled means for alternately operating the heating elements and lighting the light.

7. A brooder having reversely sloping roofs, reversely inwardly and upwardly sloping ceilings spaced beneath the roofs, electric heating elements positioned beneath the ceilings, an air (ill ' brooding space, thermostatic means for vswitchvent flueintermediate the ceilings along the high l edgesthereof and having an upwardinlet from andtaking air mainly from a point'near the floorA the' brooder interior near and above the oor and intermediate the ceilings, an electric switch controlling the energization of the heating elements, a light in shunt connection with the switch and adapted to illumine the brooder space and thermostatic means controlling the operation of the switch. i

l 8. A brooder having a roof, a loft providing air space below the roof, a ceiling below the loft, the

loft being closed at the edges, a brooding space below the ceiling, and an air exhaust flue longitudinal of the brooder out of the brooding space and into the loft, freely open lnear the floor level level of the broodingspace, the air exhaust flue having a fabric wall'diicultly permeable to air.

9. A brooder having a brooding space, heating elements for maintaining heat in kthe brooding l space, an air exhaust ue communicating with the brooding space at a point adjacent the floor level of the'brooding space and having a fabric.

wall difcultly permeable to air and light and a light in the flue serving to heat the flue' and faintly to illuminate thebrooding space through the fabric wall.

, 10. A brooder having a roof, a loft space below Athe roof, a ceiling below the loft, a brooding space below the ceiling, electric means for heating the ing the electric heating means on to'circuit for relatively high .and low heating respectively to maintain a temperature substantially uniform and an attraction light lighting automaticallyv f and energized by operating the switch for low heating.

11. In a brooder, walls forming a brooding lspace, an exhaust air flue directing air out of the brooding space, means for heating the brooding space and exhaust air flue from the brooding space, an attraction light located in the flue to heat the flue and visible in the broodingv space and a `switch reversely controlling the degree of energization of the said means and of the light respectively.

12. In a brooder, a roof, a brooder ceiling supported below and in spaced relation to the roof and sloping inwardly and upwardly and forming with the roof an air loft space sealed at its edges,

a heating element in` the' brooder below the ceiling, aue extending from a point near the floor level of the brooder into the loft space and the said flue having walls difcultly air-pervious and adjacent the high portion of` the ceiling, and a damper for controlling the escape of air fromy the loft space, the air within the brooder space j and ,the roof, a second heating element in the vllue,'means for reversely controlling together the degrees of energization of the heating elements z anda damper for controlling the venting of air from the fluel into the loft space.

14. A substantially rectangular brooder having agable roof, a gable ceiling below and spaced from the roof, an exhaust vent communicating with the interior of the brooder near the floor level and extending longitudinally at the center of the space for substantially the full length of thel brooder, dischargingl air into the loft space between the roof andl the ceiling, and a vent in the roof discharging air from the loft space.

, 15. In a brooder, an inclined ceiling, a ilue freely open near the floor level, and communicatingvertically with the space above the ceiling, located adjacent the high edge of the ceiling and the flue having walls diicultly permeable to air whereby the air vents from near the ceiling into the flue through ue walls that are difficultly permeable and vents from near the ground into the low end of the' flue and heating means positioned beneath the ceiling at the low edge there- 165A brooder having a pair of roofs sloping each from the other, a pair of reversely inwardly `and upwardly sloping ceilings connecting along their "low edges with the respective roofs` and cooperating with the roofs to provide an air loft space and a'brooder space respectively above and belowthe ceilings, electric heating elements positioned in the brooder space below the ceilings whereby heated air within the brooder space travels inwardly and upwardly across the reversely sloping ceilings, a iiue between the ceilings venting the brooder space into the loft space,

v having laterally spaced walls extending downward from the high edges of the roof providing a 'ue inlet and near and above the ground and the wallsdifficultly permeable to air along the high edges of the ceiling and means for heating the ueinterior whe-reby air vents from the brooder space into the flue both at the lower end thereof and through the ue walls near the ceiling.

WM. HENRY BRINTON. 

